In 1958, Allan Kaprow (1927-2006) published an article on Abstract Expressionism entitled The Legacy of Jackson Pollock in which he suggested the separation of the art-making activity from the art itself. Kaprow’s concept was most famously realized through Happenings, during which the traditional role of artist-creator was replaced by what he called “the social occasion.” In these events, divisions between artist and audience—and between the artwork and the perception of it—were dissolved.

“I couldn’t really handle the public exposure. It seemed to imply show biz, and in fact a lot of my crisis was attributable to exposure on television, Life magazine articles, being called by revolutionaries for help, and so on. So I pulled back—not into the past, but into a private world,” Kaprow says in this interview with Arlene Raven.

A historical interview originally recorded in 1979 and re-edited in 2003 with support from the Lyn Blumenthal Memorial Fund.